1. Field of the Invention
A seat for semi-permanent attachment to a stadium bench, the seat having a cushion which is usable as a seat when in a horizontal position over the top of the stadium bench. The cushion may be placed in a storage position vertically disposed beneath the portion of the stadium bench which extends over the riser on which the stadium bench is supported. Semi-permanent attachment to the stadium bench of the seat is accomplished by means of a clamp at the rear of the frame of the seat, which clamp engages the rear wall of the stadium bench and is held in position by means of a bolt which couples the clamp with the seat frame.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When viewing athletic events from stadiums, the spectator is usually required to sit on a flat, hard bench of metal or wood which is supported in the stadium by stepped risers whereby to present tiered seating so that all in the stadium may view the event taking place therein.
It is known to provide supplemental seating which provides greater comfort for the spectator by utilizing a seat which has a frame and a cushion and a back member which may be positioned with respect to the stadium bench to provide a cushioned seat and a backrest for the spectator. Usually such stadium seats are rented by vendors and taken into the stadium by the user, temporarily attached to the stadium bench and then left when the event is concluded.
Such stadium seats are retained with respect to the stadium bench by means of hooks which are at the front edge of the frame of the stadium seat and which hook over a front wall of the stadium bench whereby to retain the stadium seat in position and prevent upwardly shifting movement thereof when the user leans back in the seat. It is conventional to provide such stadium seats with a frame having a seat portion which carries a cushion and a back portion which carries a back rest.
However, organizations sponsoring events in stadiums have found it desirable to provide, for their spectators, alumni and customers, seats which are semi-permanently attached to the stadium bench and which may remain in place during an entire season of events or, for that matter, throughout the year. This overcomes the necessity of carrying a stadium seat into the stadium for each event; buying or renting the same from a vendor; and requiring the vendor or others to pick up the seats after the event in the stadium is concluded. It also provides the user with a seat which is fixed at the position of use in the stadium and which may be counted on to be in place for a series of events in the stadium.
Accordingly, it is the object of this invention to provide a stadium seat which may be semi-permanently attached to a stadium bench, which bench is supported by a riser and presents a normally flat top and downwardly extending front and rear vertical walls.
It is an object of the invention to provide, in a stadium seat, clamping means for connecting the seat to the stadium bench by means of bolts which secure the clamp to the stadium seat and also bring the clamp into tight engagement with the rear wall of the stadium seat whereby to retain the seat in a fixed position on the stadium bench, the stadium seat normally occupying the space on the stadium bench to which the user of the stadium seat holds a ticket.
It is another object of this invention to provide a stadium seat having a cushion which overlies the stadium bench when the seat is in use, but which may be swung from a horizontal position of use on top of the stadium bench to a vertical position of storage wherein the cushion is suspended from the frame of the stadium seat beneath a portion of the stadium bench which extends beyond the riser, thereby placing the cushion in a position where it will not be damaged during storage.
It is a yet further object of this invention to provide a stadium seat having a frame and a cushion and wherein the cushion is connected to the front of the frame by means of a pair of loops which permit swinging movement of the cushion from a horizontal to a vertical position. In the vertical position, the cushion is out of the way and is essentially protected from the weather, such cushions usually being made of a weather impervious plastic material, all to the end that the cushion is maintained in good condition throughout a season and may be ready for use at any time for an event in the stadium merely by swinging a cushion to its horizontal, seating position.